Former pharmacist sentenced to decade in prison for filling 'sham' prescriptions

PHILADELPHIA - A former licensed Philadelphia pharmacy owner from Cherry Hill was sentenced this afternoon to 10 year in prison for a drug conspiracy and drug distribution involving Young's Pharmacy at 1306 South St. here.

Lawrence Young, 70, was convicted in December 2009 by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances.

Between 2001 and October 2006, Young operated the pharmacy as a haven for drug dealers and drug addicts who went there to fill what the U.S. Attorney’s Officer here said were sham medical prescriptions for frequently abused prescription drugs containing controlled substances, such as Percocet, Lorcet, and Xanax, and the frequently abused syrups Tussionex and Phenergan with Codeine.

Young filled the prescriptions knowing they were shams, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In addition to the prison term. U.S. District Court Judge J. Curtis Joyner ordered Young to pay a $400,000 fine, to forfeit $1,270,246 in proceeds, and ordered three years supervised release.

Young filled bundles of multiple sham prescriptions for frequently abused prescription drugs, for regular drug-dealing customers whom he personally observed and dealt with, in exchange for cash and other benefits. To avoid detection, Young set an artificial limit on the number of prescriptions he would fill per day.